In the beverage and refrigeration industries, a number of different methods are utilized for keeping beverages cool without diluting or watering down the beverage. For example, cylindrical foam receptacles, or "coozies", may be used to maintain the temperature of a bottle or can containing a beverage. Coolers and ice buckets are also available. In the former example however, the foam receptacle cannot maintain the temperature of the beverage for long and unless the beverage is consumed quickly, the temperature of the beverage tends to rise, and the user finds himself drinking a luke-warm beverage. In the latter examples, both coolers and ice buckets are too large and bulky to use in portable situations.
Yet another attempt at maintaining the temperature of the beverage is to insert a cooling substance other than ice into the bottle or can containing the beverage. The cooling substance can be enclosed in a shaped packet which is frozen before it is inserted into the beverage-holding container. However, it would be a time-consuming task to insert a packet containing a cooling substance into each can or bottle. It may be difficult or impossible to find such an insert that would fit into the small opening in the can or bottle.
Other beverage-cooling devices are thermos-type containers, in which a beverage bottle or can is inserted into the thermos-like container, which maintains the temperature of the beverage. A straw can be inserted into the container to allow the user to withdraw the cooled beverage. However, it would require a great deal of time and effort for a vendor at a stadium, for example, to insert each can of soda or beer in one of the thermos-like containers. Of course, simply pouring the beverage into a cup filled with ice cubes does not solve the dilemma as this leads back to the original problem of dilution of the beverage upon the melting of the ice.
Previous attempts have been made to design improved beverage-cooling devices, certain features of which are generally described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,124 to Weber; U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,039 to Green et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,087 to Vinarsky; U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,542 to Wang; U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,761 to Schauer; U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,156 to Redmon; U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,019 to Gorochow; U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,238 to Schwartz et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,305 to Taub; U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,831 to Williams III; U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,083 to Spinos et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,795 to House, Jr.; U.S. Pat. No. 2,370,931 to Bogin et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 1,954,369 to Solomon; U.S. Pat. No. 1,009,406 to Graham; U.S. Pat. No. 0,296,432 to Moebius; and U.S. Pat. No. 0,117,712 to Wright, all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,653,124 to Weber (the '124 patent) describes a refrigerated insulated beverage container system comprised of an insulated stein featuring a sleeve into which a can may be inserted into and an optional insulating vessel into which a beverage can be poured directly into. A handle and lid are provided as is a portable reusable refrigerant disk that fits into the cavity at the bottom of the stein.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,609,039 to Green et al. (the '039 patent) describes a combination drinking bottle and internal cooling cartridge wherein the cartridge has longitudinal protrusions separated by longitudinally extending concave surfaces. A refrigerant is sealed between the space created by the cartridge's side, top and bottom surfaces. The cartridge fits into the drinking bottle as shown in FIG. 5(a), and a straw can be inserted to extract the beverage that is to be cooled as shown in FIG. 6(c).
U.S. Pat. No. 5,597,087 to Vinarsky (the '087 patent) describes a liquid-tight sports bottle with a thermal chiller pack inserted into the sports bottle as seen in FIG. 1. The chiller pack contains a solution that can be cooled to freezer temperatures to keep the liquid contained therein chilled.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,590,542 to Wang (the '542 patent) describes a canteen capable of holding a first drink which is cooled by a frozen second drink contained in a capsule which is removably held in a bracket formed on the underside of the canteen's cover. The first drink may be consumed by a straw, while the capsule containing the second drink may be removed, and its contents, now melted, may be drunk through a neck formed in the upper end of the capsule.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,357,761 to Schauer (the '761 patent) describes a thermos insert for beverage containers. The insert is comprised of a molded polyethylene hollow tube filled with a refrigerant material which cools the beverage inside the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,156 to Redmon (the '156 patent) describes a cooling device which utilizes an ice substitute in a shaped container which can be inserted into a sports bottle and is retained in place by a straw as shown in FIG. 1. The cooling device contains openings at its bottom to allow the fluid to be drawn through the openings after it has flowed past the cooling device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,019 to Gorochow (the '019 patent) describes a drinking device which acts as a heat exchanger, drawing heat from a hot liquid, thereby allowing the user to consume a cooled beverage. The device, as shown in FIG. 3, includes flexible inner and outer tubes with an air space between the tubes that is filled with a thermally conductive solid which forms the heat exchanger portion. This portion remains unsubmerged in the beverage, thereby cooling only the liquid drawn up by the user through the extended straw-like portion of the inner tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,238 to Schwartz et al. (the '238 patent) describes a drinking container having a cap member integral with a freezable insert containing an aqueous solution with a freezing point below that of water. The frozen aqueous solution can cool a liquid placed within the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,048,305 to Taub (the '305 patent) describes a cooler assembly which stores ice-cooled can beverages and is comprised of an ice-cooled storage vessel which is suspended within the assembly's housing. The housing is formed by a series of vertically disposed panel-like spacers which prevent contact of the cans with the water formed during the melting of the ice.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,831 to Williams, III (the '831 patent) describes a device for cooling potable liquids by inserting a continuous capillary tube inside of a cooling chamber. The liquid enters the bottom of the tube and then enters the five inch long cooling chamber allowing the user to draw the liquid, now cooled, into his mouth.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,083 to Spinos et al. (the '083 patent) describes a beverage cooler having an inner and outer container defining an annular chamber which holds a beverage. The inner container contains a refrigerant which cools the body of the beverage and further cools the beverage as it is withdrawn through a drinking straw passageway located within the inner container as shown in FIG. 1.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,338,795 to House, Jr. (the '795 patent) shows an insulated cooling receptacle for a beverage bottle comprised of an insulating base portion and a bottle-cooling cap portion filled with a freezable substance. The cap portion is removable to allow for the insertion and removal of the bottle.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,370,931 to Bogin et al. (the '931 patent) describes a combined drink cooler and sipper comprised of a closed container containing refrigerant material integral with a sipper tube. The container is placed in a glass containing a beverage to be cooled and is supported on the rim of a glass by a hook-like projection upon the sipper tube.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,954,369 to Solomon (the '369 patent) describes a beverage shaker resembling a traditional cocktail shaker having a beverage container to hold the beverage to be cooled and an ice chamber which is inserted into the container and suspended within the beverage container when the cap is secured as shown in FIG. 1. After the beverage is poured into the beverage container, the user vigorously shakes the container, agitating the beverage, and bringing the beverage into contact with the outer wall of the ice-filled ice chamber thereby cooling the beverage.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,009,406 to Graham (the '406 patent) describes a holder for iced beverages comprised of an outer cup-shaped receptacle A open at the top and an inner receptacle of less depth than the outer receptacle B and sharing the same opening at the top. The inner receptacle together with the outer, forms an interior chamber C which receives the beverage to be cooled. After the inner chamber is removed to fill the interior chamber C with the beverage, it is replaced and filled with ice to cool the beverage. The inner chamber is removed a second time in order for the user to consume the cooled beverage.
U.S. Pat. No. 0,296,432 to Moebius (the '432 patent) describes a refrigerator for cooling the contents of a liquid comprised of a fibrous covering to be passed over a bottle or other liquid-holding container wherein part of the covering extends into the liquid which is absorbed by the fibers and is evaporated, thereby cooling the contents of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 0,117,712 to Wright (the '712 patent) describes an ice-vessel comprised of sheet metal which is inserted into an opening in a counter or bar and remains flush with it. Integral with and extending through the center of the ice-vessel is a cylindrical bottle holder with perforations therein to hold a bottle whose contents are to be cooled. The invention provides for a way to insert and remove bottles of liquor into an ice-filled cooler without the necessity removing or disturbing the ice.
However, none of the above patents disclose a simple and effective way to cool beverages without diluting the beverage. Consequently, there is a need in the art for a sanitary beverage cooler which can be carried virtually anywhere and can be adapted to engage with the opening of different sizes of beverage-holding containers, such as bottles or cans. There is a further need in the art for a sanitary beverage cooler which utilizes a relatively small amount of cooling substance to cool a beverage as it exits the bottle or can, without diluting the beverage. The present invention provides these needs.